SC unsigned
ly recognize Charleston,
oyal OZONE readers probab
very magathis
in
s
ent
sem
bold adverti
ng two
rapper Carlos Cartel. His
turi
fea
ads
le. For months, his
zine have been memorab
ng in between,
ndi
sta
tel
Car
h
wit
,
fins
of cof
dead bodies resting inside , ran on the pages of OZONE. “[The bodies
pon
holding an automatic wea
y, [who] got killed
my cousin and his homebo
pictured on the ads are]
show the other side of
to
just
at’s
“Th
s.
lain
exp
by another homeboy,” he
ut.”
rappers [aren’t] talkin’ abo
the game, to what these
ement for dealing
king more like an endors
But when he ran an ad loo

L

CHARLESTON, SC

et boys decided
for a rap album, the alphab had to put out
I
cocaine than promotions
ing
eth
som
felt like that was
,”
to pay him a visit. “I just
magazine, shit hit the fan
the
in
t
tha
put
I
r
afte
find
’t
ldn
cou
there,” he says. “[But]
y
the
nt something on me, but
real case has
he says. They tried to pla
the law, he states that no
by
d
aze
unf
at
ewh
Som
nothing.”
.
been brought against him
ous city in the United
, SC (the 7th most danger
Born in North Charleston
gs), Cartel had a
kin
Ran
e
Crim
City
Press’
States according to the CQ
his father passed
,
old
rs
yea
n he was just 10
troubled childhood. Whe
from AIDS, which he
ns
atio
away due to complic
use. At 13, Cartel
contracted through drug
Memphis, TN.
to
r
the
mo
his
h
wit
ved
mo
Three Six
like
s
per
rap
s
phi
Seeing Mem
g tapes out
tlin
hus
p
Pim
ny
Mafia and Skin
his own hustle
of their car trunks inspired
to Newport
and flow. He later moved
riended Marbef
he
re
whe
,
inia
News, Virg
d Atlanta
ble
trou
of
r
the
cus Vick, the bro
hael Vick. “I’ve
Falcons quarterback Mic
life who’ve
been around niggas all my
h there were
oug
Alth
s.
say
he
rs,”
been sta
ss and the
ele
hom
self
him
times he found
inst him, seeing
cards seemed stacked aga
a and the Vick
the success of Three 6 Mafi
his pursue of a
in
him
ted
tiva
mo
brothers,
sic.
career in rap mu
known for his conBut Cartel may be more
chain boosted
UTP
A
sic.
mu
his
n
flicts tha
up in the
ed
end
p
cam
from Juvenile’s
ght the media’s
Cartel’s hands, which cau
t incident where
attention, and a subsequen during a
ne
Way
Lil
at
tle
bot
a
he threw
SC, earned him a
performance in Florence,
and the nickname
troublemaking reputation
sts those days
insi
He
”
tel.
Car
l
Hel
use
“Ca
people know
of
lot
“A
.
him
ind
are far beh
says. “The
he
,”
rter
sta
m
me as a proble
misunderstanding,
Juvenile situation was a
love to Wayne too.
much love to him. Much
it’s a new year.
ff,
stu
f
bee
t
tha
I ain’t on
t somebody over
sho
e
hav
ld
The old me wou
some petty stuff.”
grind speaks volThese days his music and
releases (Soulja
nt
nde
epe
ind
umes. His two
) are heavy on
tel
Car
l
Stories and Cause Hel
World Is Yours,
The
d,
thir
a
and
ets
stre
the
n. With records
is set to be released soo
Fresh, Spark
tian
Hai
sie,
featuring Lil Boo
ck T as well
Chu
DJ
Dawg, Skinny Pimp, and
s pictured on his
ket
cas
in
ies
bod
d
dea
as
ching the attention
wrapped van, Cartel is cat
media outlets
and
ent
em
orc
of both law enf
//
.
ast
throughout the Southe
cartel
www.myspace.com/carlos
Words by Randy Roper